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Langen, Annen, Hays: names to watch in bobsled
By Joe Bauman
Deseret News Olympic specialist
UTAH OLYMPIC PARK — Todd Hays. Christoph Langen. Martin Annen.
Those are the names of pilots to watch in the Winter Games' two-man bobsled races, set for today and Sunday. Among pilots from 29 nations who signed up to race, they had the most impressive records during World Cup races prior to the Olympics.
But that doesn't mean a surprise winner can't streak in. The field is bubbling with talent, from the American Brian Shimer to Pierre Lueders of Canada.
Racing on both days is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 6:40 p.m., with two heats per day.
But here are three of the most impressive teams:
- For the United States, Todd Hays of Del Rio, Texas, and his brakeman, Garrett Hines of Atlanta, Ga. Hines replaces Pavle Jovanovic, recently banned from bobsledding for two years because he tested positive for a steroid.
At 233 pounds and 6-foot-3-inches, Hays is a great driver. For a while during the World Cup season just ended, he led in both two-man and four-man medals. But he was stripped of one victory following the Jovanovic drug test ruling. (Hays blames contaminated dietary supplements for the traces of steroid in Jovanovic's system.)
- Christoph Langen, from Strub, Germany, is a fearsome pilot who swept up many medals, starting with his first Olympic Games as a driver in 1992. At that time, he won a silver in the four-man event.
- Martin Annen, Switzerland, claimed the 2001 World Cup. According to Olympics officials, that was his first full season on the World Cup circuit. He won three gold medals and a bronze among the seven races that year.
Four starting groups will take to the track, each with a maximum of 10 sleds. They will compete in four runs over the weekend. Grouping into any of the four sets is based on each country's World Cup ranking. Starting order depends on the luck of the draw and is vital because the later a sled starts, the worse its chances. The ice becomes more and more deteriorated as each bobsled whips down the track, and that can slow a competitor. So if a top bobsledder gets a bad draw, he might not medal.
The winner is the sled with the lowest overall time combining all four runs.
E-mail: bau@desnews.com
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February 16, 2002
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